This audience version of Truckin' as the opener is high energy; awesome. It is the first opener since Europe '72 and relentlessly relents. I also believe this may be the first twenty (20) minute version of Playing in the Band; it has been growing throughout 1972. This is good, very good Grateful Dead stuff.

Go Faster, Get Rounder’s review gets it exactly right. This here is the genuine article. Just maybe, to me anyway, as good as it gets. While the previous night (9/27), with its Morning Dew opener and thrilling Dark Star among other things, gets lots of well-deserved accolades and renown, IMHO, the playing on this Thursday night run-closer in Jersey City is even better. Yeah, I know its near heresy even to suggest, but you heard that right. Simply put, in my book, the entire amazing segment from the all-time He’s Gone, to the remarkable, powerful and pulsating Other One (and back and forth through beautiful renditions of Bobby McGee and Wharf Rat), culminating in the howling Sugar Mag, NFA and Goin Down the Road show close, belongs on a short list of the very finest performances of this band, ever. And don’t sleep on the first set either, including terrific versions of China-Rider and Playing of the very same ilk. Whenever I come back to this show it is like reconnecting with an old friend after many years and picking up right where you left off. Needless to say, this show and spectacular recording gets my highest ratings. My guess is the lack of a sbd of the Truckin opener and vocal-less first set Loser is the only thing standing between this show and an official release. But don’t kid yourself, it belongs in a glass case at the Library of Congress for permanent preservation regardless.

Does it get any better than September 72?

May 77, December 73, May 72, February 69, maybe October 89, or a few other runs in late 80s are contenders. But this is a monster show. And just my style of Dead.

Also a great show for Bobby heads. He's really masterful in his rhythm playing. He's very high in the mix, but not detracting in my mind. Everybody is really hitting on all cylinders. Also a great show for Phil, Jerry, Billy. Keith is low in the mix and sometimes absent playing, but he has some great playing throughout.

Sound is excellent. There are patches. Truckin' is all AUD. And I like it--you can really feel the energy in the crowd. Not as clear as the board but I'm glad to get a feel for the vibe in the show. We lose the vocals in Loser, but since I play this tune on my mandolin, I like listening to just the chords--once again Bobby is just a great rhythm player.

This Latvala fave is the night after a candidate for best show of all time. But rather than hide in that shadow, they're known as a great duo. There are 14 songs repeated from the previous show - only 4 of which are played better. But that doesn't weigh at all on this show. Even with fewer aces, it's one of 72's greatest, and long enough that there will be a great section you'll like (2hr 2nd set). It's another example of why 9/72 was one of the greatest months. It was their 5th show in Jersey City that year, from 3 separate trips! For accurate representation of this show, you need some AUD and some pitch correction. I pitch-corrected TOO from the AUD and patched it into a pitch-corrected MIller.94268 composite and was good to go. But hey, we got the DALAI LAMA.

First Set. Truckin' is decent but AUD-only. The SBD had no vox for Loser until 5:45. The AUDs pick up the vox, but the berger-AUD is 3% too slow. Matrix needed. The set starts to settle in for Beat it on Down the Line-12. I like the uptempo '72 versions of Mississippi Half-Step, but the abrupt arrangement challenged them - it's a l m o s t an ace version. Black Throated Wind is where the show really takes off. Dough Knees starts careening and getting crazy and Big River is even better than the night before. The rest is very solid and China Cat has a bizarre, super-long intro while Jer gets his levels, and his mood really comes through Rider. Playin' (patched with AUDs) is like a 20min freebie after a full set.

Second Set. Bobby is out of tune on Bertha but Jer kicks a rubbery solo. At Greatest Story, the set goes strato and pretty much stays there. It doesn't seem like it's going to tighten up at first but after it blows up, Jer interpolates the riff from St. Stephen (one of a few times it happened this directly. The others are 5/20/73 & 5/17/74). Bobby: "Well folks, I think something blew up". Yeah, a LOT OF FUCKING MINDS. Brokedown is off-kilter, with a bad set position (did you go "wait, they're done?!" and check the set list?). Compare it to the night before and you'll see why they thought they'd pull it off. Before an ace Me & My Uncle (Jer the whooole way through), there's a Mexican Hat Dance tuning - but in a minor key! He's Gone is, like the night before, remarkable, but in a different, Phil/Billy way. The Other One this night is a helluva thing. 16min to the lyrics, a way out there jam, an old school/'69 sound, and an ending with a Moore/Renaldo breakdown. The He's Gone>Wharf sandwich is an hour long. Though Wharf ain't much, Sugar Mag works up a storm, and Jer's work is insane on Not Fade>GDtRFB.They didn't encore because they didn't NEED to.

1st Set:  B
2nd Set: A-
Overall = 4½ stars

Highlights:
Black Throated Wind - tightest of the tour
Big River - better than night before
I Know You Rider - Jer inflects mood
Greatest Story Ever Told - seems it won't tighten up at first, then the fabric of the universe tears
Me & My Uncle - Jer the whooole way
He's Gone - the Phil/Billy solo is just one reason
The Other One - bizarre monster
Sugar Magnolia - a storm
Not Fade Away - maybe 72's best

Run:
9/26/72 - C
9/27/72 - A+
9/28/72 - B+

SOURCES: There is no perfect source for this show though, overall, the miller.94268 is best. It compiles the best sources (and is slightly crisper and cleaner than the bertha.34162). However, it is a tad slow and needs +1% pitch correction. It has the same cut in The Other One as all SBDs (missing 22sec starting@12:28). The AUD has the complete TOO but runs way too slow, needing +4% in most places. The bertha.ashley.27584 is about as good as the miller and though it doesn't compile the best patches, it does correct channel errors and is painstakingly de-blipped. The sir mick is also pitch-corrected.

This is a really spectacular show IMO. The sound is great and all instruments are clearly audible. Forget about Keef and Woody. Here is proof that Weir and Garcia (and Lesh) invented "weaving." The way they play off each other and respond to each other is beautiful. Show like this prove that Bobby is one of the most creative underappreciated rhythm guitarists of all time. I especially love to hear what he is playing when Garcia is singing. Not to mention listen to what Garcia is playing Behind Weir on songs like ElPaso and Bobbi McGee. Just one long continuous stream of beautiful notes. And there's even a Phil bass solo thrown in. Can't remember ever hearing one of those.

Beautiful show and great quality sound warranting 5 stars. But why did the vocals have to go out on Loser??? Every version of that song is precious and losing the vocals of a scorching version is some sort of cosmic joke. You can get the vocals off one of the aud versions at least. What a great run of shows! It also demonstrates hoe bad my voice is when i sing the missing vocals.

My first thought on hearing this show was that it rivaled the Veneta, Oregon show from about a month earlier.

Of course, it doesn't have the perfect Dark Star. But that said, the China/Rider is excellent. And the Playin' has to be heard.

This show makes me feel good.

killer TOO, Bobby McGee and Wharf Rat
Did these shows take the place of the Capitol shows or what?
9/27 is way up there ie.
Deal, Bird Song, DS>Cumberland and Attics

Unbelievably good right from the beginning, AUD patched Truckin' and vocal-less Loser notwithstanding. Maybe the best first set I've heard from this period.

The second set doesn't seems as good at first, until we hit He's Gone. At that point, we're going over the moon!

Bobby is prominent in the mix, maybe because he's showcasing his new UniVibe pedal (that chorusy/phasey effect on his guitar). I love UniVibes.

I can't think of a show that I like better than this one--hate to say favorite, but it would sure be my first pick if I had to choose just one. And that is a reasonably considered opinion: I have had a copy of it for 29 years -- it has NEVER gone out of regular rotation in that entire time.

What the other reviewers have said, I agree with. Most people are probably familiar with the high speed St. Stephen jam in the middle of Greatest Story--and that really smokes. A couple of tunes later, it starts happening. El Paso just cooks, then He's Gone. Easily the best version of He's Gone -- and nothing else even come close in my book.

Toward the end of the He's Gone Phil is laying down what almost seem like back beat notes--except they aren't notes: They are the most incredibly funky high speed runs I have ever heard him do. What Phil does during He's Gone makes me think of John Coltrane -- Down Beat magazine described his improvisations as "sheets of sound." To say Phil was feeling it this night is huge understatement: He is all over everything -- in the best possible way. I got to talk with Phil briefly when he was doing a book signing. I told him, quite honestly, that his playing playing in the Stanley Theater, Jersey City, 9/28/72 He's Gone was the coolest thing I had ever heard--to this day it makes me laugh with delight when I hear it--it is just too cool. (Phil indicated he didn't even remember it--I hadn't thought about it before then or before reading his book, but I guess I used to think they listened to their old shows--and Phil would remember what I was describing-- but I guess they didn't.)

It then goes into one of those everyday (not) Phil solos, which thunders straight into an unbelievably good The Other One -- which just jams - then they kind of harsh it out a bit--actually a lot--with Jerry doing tiger stuff -- and then out of those ashes comes a just unbelievably beautiful "Me and Bobby McGee" -- and the transition is truly seamless -- just breathtaking. Then back to "The Other One" -- more energy -- into Wharf Rat -- a really moving and beautiful version.

OK, I'll shut up. But if I have haven't been clear yet: It's good.

When Dick's Picks 11 came out, I truly had an agony and ecstacy moment: I really, really like 9/27 (I have two unopened extra copies of Dick's Picks 11 -- just in case something ever happens to my first copy, or its replacement), so I was really glad. But it was so close to being 9/28, but it wasn't--so that was a bit agonizing. Maybe someday . . . .

When BVD said that he went to all three Stanley Theater nights, the giant green monster invaded me -- jealous doesn't even begin to describe it. Too cool man--you saw the best.

And thank you Charlie Miller-- you have the Midas Touch. You are also one truly generous guy--and I know there are a lot of people who are truly grateful.

Went to this three nite run and love em' all! Thanks to Mr. Miller this show indeeds shines. This would make a lovely boxed set.What a great time to be living in NYC. Probably saw the boys more in 72 than any other year. Seven nites at The Academy of Music...Roosevelt Stadium...Dillon Stadium in Hartford and the creme de la creme Stanley Theatre. Back then they would come east two, three times a year. Great TOO here.Check out DS>Cumberland from 9/27!